The thoughts and writings of a surgeon

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Confessions of a Surgeon

In medical school, Paul A. Ruggieri dreamed of becoming a hero. He had no idea what real life as a surgeon had in store for him.

As an active surgeon and former department chairman, Dr. Paul Ruggieri has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of his profession. In Confessions of a Surgeon he pushes open the doors of the OR and reveals the inscrutable place where lives are improved, saved, and sometimes, lost. He shares the successes, failures, remarkable advances, and the camaraderie that make it exciting. He uncovers the truth about the abusive, exhaustive training, and the arduous devotion of his “old-school” education. He explores the twenty-four-hour challenges that come from patients and their loved-ones, the ethics of saving the lives of repugnant criminals, the hot-button issues of heath care, lawsuits and reimbursements, and the true cost of running a private practice. And he divulges the “white coat of silence” that prevents the patient from ever learning what really transpires during surgery.

Ultimately, Dr. Ruggieri lays bare an occupation that to most is as mysterious as it is misunderstood. It is passionate, illuminating, and often shocking-an eye-opening, never-before-seen look at real life as a surgeon in the O.R.

Surgeons Hate Surpises

“Dr. Ruggieri, please come to the emergency room stat.” I was in the middle of slicing through a buttock abcess the size of a tangerine on a young man when the overhead page spoke out.

“Damn, Doc, that hurts.” I smiled, ignoring his cries. The man let out a short howl. “I thought you were going to numb it.”